Website Features and Purposes Lecture

Website Dr. Sohair Al hakeem What Is A Website? A website is whatever the website owner wants it to be. It could be informational, educational, divisive – you name it. A website is essentially a platform for an individual or business to express themselves and utilize in whichever way they choose....

Website Dr. Sohair Al hakeem What Is A Website? A website is whatever the website owner wants it to be. It could be informational, educational, divisive – you name it. A website is essentially a platform for an individual or business to express themselves and utilize in whichever way they choose. Below are some of these such ways. Web page versus website  A web page refers to one distinct digital document displayed on a web browser and written in a coding language called HyperText Markup Language (HTML).  Each web page could have various media, hyperlinks, and scripts to add extra interactivity and engagement to the user's experience. And web pages with the same domain name are part of a website and usually share the same layout, writing style, and topics. Purpose of a Website  The "Why" of a website.  The overall goal or objective.  It answers the question: "What is the website trying to achieve? Examples of purposes:  Inform: To provide information about a topic or service.  Sell: To promote and sell products or services.  Engage: To connect with an audience and build a community.  Educate: To teach or train users on a specific subject. 1. 1. Make Money  The most common purpose of a business website is to make money.  Nowadays, the whole world is coming online.  Consumers have become more comfortable inputting their credit card information and buying things online.  Where consumers are is where businesses go.  Since consumers are spending most of their money online now, businesses have begun to build websites to target these buyers. 2. Sell Products  One of the most common ways to make money online is to sell a physical or digital product.  By making the customer journey as easy and seamless as possible, businesses have begun making millions online from selling products to online users. 3. Sell Services  Alongside selling products comes selling services.  This is where the website is used to generate awareness, leads, and sales online for a service that will be rendered by the business that owns the website. 4. Build An Online Presence  As the saying goes: “if you’re not online, you don’t exist.”  The vast majority of consumers research a product or service online before they every make a buying decision.  As a small business owner, if your business can’t be found online, you will potentially be losing out on HUGE amounts of money.  5.Branding  A website is the hub of your business.  With this in mind, most businesses use it as a way to further establish their branding.  They can add pictures, videos, stories – anything they want.  It is a great way to further enhance your brand and communicate to your audience what it is that you do and what it is that you stand for. 6.Online Education  Online education is becoming a massive industry.  With college tuition putting college graduates into tens of thousands of dollars of debt, students are looking for cheaper alternatives.  Many platforms and website portals are now popping up that are strictly purposed for online education. 7.Social Media And Social Networking  Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat.  These are the websites on the internet that get the most use, traffic, and engagement.  We are social animals that live in a digital world.  Thus, websites that are really just social media platforms are seeing the most success today. 8.Online forums  Online forums share some traits with social networking sites, but they're more focused on answering questions, starting conversations, and creating an online community centered around a niche subject.  Forum sites arrange discussions into different threads by the topic of conversation.  Reddit is an example of an online forum site with threads called subreddits on themes ranging from world news to video games. Features of a Website 1.Navigation  Clear and Intuitive Navigation: ◦ User-friendly menu structure ◦ Consistent navigation elements ◦ Clear and concise labels Navigation  Search Functionality: Efficient search bar to find specific content  Relevant search results  Navigation  Breadcrumbs:  Clear Path: They display a trail of links, usually at the top of the page, leading from the homepage to the current page.  Easy Navigation: Users can click on any link in the breadcrumb trail to go back to that specific page.  Improved User Experience: They help users understand the website's structure and navigate more efficiently.  Example:  If you're on a product page for "Blue Jeans" on an online clothing store, the breadcrumb might look like this:  Homepage > Clothing > Jeans > Blue Jeans 2.Content  High-Quality Content: ◦ Well-written, informative, and engaging content ◦ Optimized for search engines (SEO)  Visual Appeal: ◦ High-quality images and videos ◦ Consistent branding and design  Mobile-Friendly Design: ◦ Responsive layout for optimal viewing on all devices 3.User Experience  Fast Loading Times:  Make images smaller and fewer Write clean and efficient code  Easy-to-Use Forms: ◦ Simple and clear form fields ◦ Minimal form fields  Secure Transactions:  Keep user data safe Use secure payment methods  Engagement Tools  Social Media Integration: ◦ Connect with users on social platforms ◦ Encourage sharing and engagement  Live Chat Support: ◦ Provide real-time assistance to users ◦ Improve customer satisfaction Questions